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Friday, June 12, 2015

A former campaign finance manager and political consultant
was sentenced today in the Eastern District of Virginia to 24 months for
coordinating $325,000 in federal election campaign contributions by a political
action committee (PAC) to a congressional campaign committee.This is the first U.S. prosecution based on
the coordination of campaign contributions between political committees.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice
Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente of the Eastern
District of Virginia and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Leonard of the
FBI Washington, D.C., Field Office’s Criminal Division made the announcement.

“The significant prison sentence imposed on Tyler Harber
should cause other political operatives to think twice about circumventing laws
that promote transparency in federal elections,” said Assistant Attorney
General Caldwell.“As the first
conviction for illegal campaign coordination, this case stands as an important
step forward in the criminal enforcement of federal campaign finance laws.Illegal campaign coordination can be
difficult to detect, which is why we strongly encourage party or campaign
insiders to come forward and blow the whistle.”

“Campaign finance laws exist to guard against illegal
activity such as coordinated campaign contributions,” said U.S. Attorney
Boente.“The citizens of the
commonwealth of Virginia can rely on this office enforce federal campaign
finance law.”

“As the 2016 election gears up, there may be others, similar
to Mr. Harber, who may view campaigns as a venue to misappropriate funds,” said
Acting Special Agent in Charge Leonard.“With millions of dollars in play, donors should be aware of how their
money will be spent prior to making a donation to a super Pac to ensure that
their contributions are being legally expended.”

Tyler Eugene Harber, 34, of Alexandria, Virginia, previously
pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Liam O’Grady to one count of
coordinated federal election contributions and one count of making false
statements to the FBI.

Harber was the campaign manager and general political
consultant for a candidate for Congress in the November 2012 general
election.At the same time, Harber
participated in the creation and operation of a PAC, which, unlike the campaign
of an individual candidate, may raise and spend money in unlimited amounts from
otherwise prohibited sources to influence federal elections so long as it does
not coordinate expenditures with a federal campaign.

In connection with his guilty plea, Harber admitted, among
other things, that he caused $325,000 in coordinated contributions by directing
the PAC to purchase political advertising opposing a rival candidate.Harber admitted that he knew this
coordination of expenditures was unlawful.

Harber admitted that he used an alias and other means to
deflect inquiries by a political party official.He also admitted that he told multiple lies
when interviewed by the FBI concerning his activities.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington, D.C.,
Field Office’s Northern Virginia Resident Agency.The case is being prosecuted by Director
Richard C. Pilger of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section Election
Crimes Branch and Chief Mark D. Lytle of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the
Eastern District of Virginia’s Financial Crimes and Public Corruption
Unit.